![](https://heysocal.com/wp-content/themes/heymediadev/assets/img/logos/beacon_white.png)
![](https://heysocal.com/wp-content/themes/heymediadev/assets/img/logos/logo-white.png)
K. Barry Sharpless from Scripps Research in La Jolla, along with Carolyn R. Bertozzi from Stanford University and Morten Meldal from the University of Copenhagen, have won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced Wednesday.
It is the second time Sharpless has won a Nobel Prize. He is a W. M. Keck professor at Scripps Research.
Sharpless and Meldal set the foundation for a functional form of chemistry — click chemistry — in which molecular building blocks snap together quickly and efficiently. Bertozzi took click chemistry to a new dimension and started using it in living organisms.
“This year’s Prize in Chemistry deals with not overcomplicating matters, instead working with what is easy and simple. Functional molecules can be built even by taking a straightforward route,” John Aqvist, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said in a statement.
Sharpless coined the concept of click chemistry around 2000. It was a form of simple and reliable chemistry that resulted in reactions occurring quickly and unwanted by-products were avoided.
Sharpless and Meldal, independent of each other, presented what is described as the crown jewel of click chemistry: the copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. It is a chemical reaction that is now in widespread use, particularly in the development of pharmaceuticals, for mapping DNA and creating materials that are more fit for purpose.
Bertozzi expanded the use of click chemistry by using it to map biomolecules on the surface of cells — glycans — and developed click reactions that work inside living organisms.
Her bioorthogonal reactions take place without disrupting the normal chemistry of the cell. Using bioorthogonal reactions, researchers have improved the targeting of cancer pharmaceuticals, which are now being tested in clinical trials.
We are able to provide high-quality political journalism to you for free thanks to our advertisers. So that you can continue to enjoy HEYSOCAL's in-depth reporting, we ask that you please turn off your ad blocker and come on in, free of charge.
Subscribe to our newsletter for this giveaway and many more. Also, stay in the loop for SoCal news and updates.
Your subscription has been confirmed. You've been added to our list and will hear from us soon.
Your request has been confirmed! We will get in touch with you shortly.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Essential Cookies should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Essential Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
You can find more information about our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy